Winnipeg’s jazz renaissance

The Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba is pleased to announce the CD release of Stepchild featuring Steve Kirby and the Northern Prairie Jazz Collective.

A launch party for the CD will be held on Thursday, November 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Park Theatre (698 Osborne Street). Tickets are $25 if you purchase in advance ($30 at the door) and available at jazzwinnipeg.com, by phone at 204-989-4656 or in person the Jazz Winnipeg office or the Park Theatre.

For years, people outside of Winnipeg overlooked its strong jazz scene but that is now changing. Winnipeg is taking its rightful place in the Canadian and international jazz scene and the Northern Prairie Jazz Collective expresses the particular energy and character of the Canadian prairie.

Stepchild showcases a range of material, from the traditional to the avant-garde. Original compositions range from the ethereal lead track, Onerionaut, by pianist Will Bonness, to the laid-back blues tune, Things Are Looking Up, by drummer Quincy Davis. Steve Kirby’s Wicked Grin is edgy and saxophonist Jimmy Green performs a lusciously spiritual, Forever. The album also features refreshing takes on standards, such as Magnolia Triangle, My Heart Belongs to Daddy, Stole Moments, and Like Someone in Love. And to top it off, there’s a haunting version of Sting’s Until.

Terrific arrangements, tight ensemble work, brilliant solos, and a powerful pulse are perfectly matched by the irresistible joy these musicians feel about collaboration, which is the soul of jazz.

For more information on Stepchild, and to listen to sound clips from the CD, click here.

For more information on the Marcel A. Desautels Faculty of Music, Jazz Studies program at the University of Manitoba, click here.